Remind Me
by LittlePrincessNana
Summary: Sometimes, life requires us all to step back and remember. Pain and All. That was where Lucy found herself as she gazed up at the tall office building. Inside, the end of one life and the beginning of another awaited her. But can she really go through with it? (Rated M for Language)


**Hi everyone!**

 **I know you're probably expecting a chapter for** _ **Soulful Fugue**_ **while I am on hiatus. While trying to get that chapter together, this little number snuck up on me. I'd planned it a seriously long time ago, all of it inspired by the song** _ **Remind Me**_ **by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.**

watch?v=7qzhngp7jh8

 **I heard it again and had to write this out. Hopefully you guys enjoy.**

* * *

A gust of wind blew in, the chill cutting through her wool coat and the silk blouse beneath. Lucy paused as an errant curled lock of hair broke free from the confines of the pin that had held it in place to feather across her face. She struggled to capture all of the strands but managed to get them pinned behind her ear and she glanced up, realizing she had arrived. The tall building towered in front of her, its glass front reflecting the city that sprawled around it. Any other time she had always found its façade beautiful, but today it was just a symbol of pain and the ominous future that would unfold in a matter of minutes.

Dread filled the broken, empty cavern of her chest and she blinked against the sting of tears. _I will not cry today._ That had been her mantra for months now it seemed, days and weeks on end where the swell of her emotions lay just beneath the surface. Depression had overrun her life, affecting everything from her job to the simplest of tasks. She could no longer count the number of sandwiches she'd made only to toss them out because of tear soaked bread. Grocery shopping, folding the laundry. Everything had become a struggle because this wasn't supposed to be how her life was to end.

But she'd had no choice in the matter.

Someone brushing past pulled her from her reverie and she whispered a brief apology before pushing herself forward. One foot in front of the other. It was the only way she made it through the day sometimes and this one seemed to be the worst of all. _It's just salt on an open wound, Lucy. You just have to get through the next thirty minutes, hour tops._ Reluctantly, she approached the front doors of the building and offered a small smile of thanks to the raven haired stranger who held the door for her on his exit.

His eyes caught hers for the briefest of moments and she saw her own sadness reflected in the strangely colored crimson orbs. It could have just been a figment of her imagination, but it was a comfort in a way. Knowing that perhaps she wasn't the only sad soul in the city. The moment passed as quickly as it came, the door closing behind her and the man disappearing into the crowd of people that passed on the sidewalk outside.

"Lucy, I was starting to think that you wouldn't make it."

She turned at the sound of heels clicking on the marbled floors to find her attorney approaching with briefcase in hand. The woman, who she'd known since high school, wasn't just legal counsel but a shoulder to cry on when the glass case around her life had shattered. "Sorry, Erza. Traffic was a little hectic today."

The redhead offered a comforting smile as she reached over to rub a gentle hand against her arm. "Are you sure that you're ready for this?"

The honest answer was no. She wasn't ready, not even remotely close but she doubted she ever would be. How did one simply say goodbye to a life they weren't prepared to give up? Anxiety threatened to steal her breath and she closed her eyes for a moment, willing it back down into the depths from which it came. This had not been her choice and she needed to remember that.

"I'd just like to get it over with," she replied.

Then she could go back home and fall apart again. This would be the culmination of the struggle, the final curtain call. She could let go of whatever tears she still held and put it behind her, the way she'd told herself to do from the beginning. Forcing a much braver face than she felt, she followed her friend and counsel across the lobby to the elevators. No words were exchanged as they entered the car nor on the ride up to the twenty-fifth floor.

The bell sounded their arrival and the doors opened to reveal a set of glass doors that she knew all too well. She'd helped pick the lettering that decorated the solid, plate glass walls that flanked those doors. _Dreyar, Dreyar and Associates_. She drew in an unsteady breath as she wiped her suddenly drench palms against the cotton lining of her coat pockets. A gentle tug on her coat prodded her into moving and she quietly followed next to the redhead who moved with a purpose. This was really happening, this was it.

The door was opened and they made their way inside, stopping at the receptionist desk. She was familiar with the young girl seated there and the bluenette gave her a sad smile when she looked up from the computer.

"I'll let Mr. Justine and Mr. Dreyar know you're here."

"Thank you, Wendy," Erza replied warmly.

The young woman stood and gave a nod. "You can both head into the conference room there and I'll bring in some coffee."

Feeling like she was on autopilot, Lucy accompanied Erza across the room to the wooden doors and further still into the large conference room. She'd been in this office space so many times that she knew the layout by heart. But her eyes still swept over the cold room. The long wooden table never seemed so ominous before, with its twelve black chairs. The view that sprawled out of the windows was usually breathtaking but now it seemed as dreary as she felt. Thick grey clouds blanketed the sky, shielding the entire city of Magnolia from the warmth of the sun. Rain threatened the horizon. Cold and bleak rain, like the tears that simmered just below the surface of her barely kept façade.

She slipped off her coat and laid it over the back of a chair. She'd only barely given thought to the cream blouse with its bow-tied neckline and the black pencil skirt. Black, sheer stocking covered the length of her legs and the low, black pumps were practical. She looked professional yet she felt like an absolute mess as she took a seat. Her hands trembled and she folded them in her lap, praying inwardly for the strength to just get through this without breaking.

"You don't have to say a word if you do not want to, alright?"

She looked up and watched as Erza laid her briefcase on the table, pulling a folder and pens from inside. "There's nothing left to really say, I guess."

The woman reached over and laid a comforting hand on hers. "You should come stay with me tonight, I'll call Levy."

Any other time, she would have smiled. Their girls nights were always a blast. The three of them staying up and binging on food that was less than healthy while watching ridiculous _B_ movies until all hours of the morning. But she didn't feel up to it. She'd burdened her friends enough with her bouts of crying and dragging moments of utter hopelessness. They didn't need to deal with her broken heart anymore. "I think I will just head home after this. I've got to work on the next few chapters given I haven't turned in a thing the last two weeks."

"Lucy, I don't want you sitting at home alone tonight. You'll only drown yourself in more Ben and Jerry's."

The faintest sound of a weak chuckle left her lips. "So you'd rather I drown myself at your place?"

"Of course," Erza replied matter-of-factly. "It has been a while since I've enjoyed a good helping of Chunky Monkey."

Leave it to the one woman who seemingly had no sense of humor to make her laugh. Even if it was for just a small moment. She was blessed by the friends she had and that was why it was time she tried standing on her own. Everyone in their circle had been affected by this. "Thank you, but-"

The sound of the door opening drew her attention and she was suddenly right back where she'd been when she'd arrived. Her eyes flickered over the first man to enter. She knew him well, better than most. He'd married one of her best friends and had spent hours at her home. She'd been there for the birth of his two year old daughter. She knew he preferred a strong cup of earl grey over coffee. She knew Freed Justine and his dry, British humor. He'd always been a dear friend.

But it was the man that followed after that caught her eye. He always had with his large, towering build, hair the color of the summer sun and eyes that mirrored the storm clouds billowing outside. _Laxus…_ He was as beautiful as he'd been all those years ago when she'd first seen him. He'd been a senior to her lowly high school freshman status. It had been love at first sight and now it only hurt. Her eyes strayed to his hand and her own fidgeted in her lap, her fingers hiding the proof that she'd still had trouble letting go.

"Erza," Freed nodded before his gaze settled on Lucy. She saw the strain in his polite smile. "Lucy, a pleasure to see you."

She hummed a brief response, giving just a shallow nod of her head. She couldn't bring herself to look at the large man who took the seat across from her. She was too afraid of what would happen if she did. Her chest was already too tight and her emotions too raw. She'd break and cry in front of him. Or worse and he didn't need to see the mess that she'd become. She looked down at her lap, thankful for the cover of the table as her fingers spun the rings on her finger.

"I believe we should proceed then."

She heard the shuffling of papers before a neat stack slid into view. Her tongue struck out over her suddenly parched lips and she hesitated reaching up to thumb at the pages. This was it, the header spelling things out in black and white. _Official Petition for Divorce_. This was the end of a chapter in her life, one she still cherished and wanted more than air. It wasn't supposed to ever come to this. They weren't supposed to end this way. She'd promised before him, God, their family and friends to remain at his side until death parted them. How cruel life was that it could all be recanted with just a few slips of paper and a couple hundred words.

"If you would take a few minutes to review, I believe you'll find every-"

"Freed, these terms are wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"We'd already discussed this. She is keeping the house, his half paid for by waiving the first year's alimony."

"That was not what they agreed to, Erza."

"I have the…"

"Yes, but…"

Her mind shut out the rising voices of her friends. Their words didn't matter, she didn't care. A quiver sprang to life in her chin and she forced her gaze up to look across the table at the man sitting there. His head was bowed, his eyes staring blankly at the pages in front of him. The muscle in his jaw clenched and released, over and over and the longing to reach over an quell it with a touch of her fingers rose up. But she refrained, knowing it would be too much. Unwanted, he'd only reject it and she'd suffered enough of his rebuffing. This was his decision, his desire.

 _So why does he look as miserable as I feel?_

His hand lifted to his face and she quickly averted her gaze back to her lap. He probably wasn't miserable. It was most likely impatience, his desire to just be finished and that only added to her pain. Where had they gone wrong? When had things passed the point of no return? Where had the man who'd promised her forever, the man that slayed all of her demons, disappeared to? The logical side of her brain knew the answer but it failed to reason with her heart that was still very much lost to him.

* * *

"Ya know, Lucy. I've been doing some thinking."

He pulled her to a stop in the middle of the commons and she quirked a brow. "That could be dangerous."

"It is," Laxus chuckled as a smile cracked the normal stern set of his rugged features. "But I'm firmly of the position that it's worth the risk."

An uneasy laugh tumbled from her lips as she glanced around to find others stopping to look at them. The place was always crowded on a Monday morning and this one was no different. It was as if the entire student population enrolled at Fiore State University was there. It was as if they knew a secret that she didn't, like Taco Tuesday had been moved in the cantina. She felt a tug on her hand and she looked back to find him kneeling on the floor next to her and the air stilled in her chest.

"Lu, you know I graduate next month and I'll head off to law school…"

She swallowed the knot in her throat and tried to calm the kaleidoscope of butterflies that took flight in her belly. He couldn't really be doing this, not here. This was a joke, right?

"I can't say what the future will bring but I am pretty damn certain of one thing. I'm going to succeed where my father hasn't and there is no one else on the face of the earth that I want by my side along the way."

"Laxus…"

She watched as his hand disappeared into the pocket of his jeans and her hand tightened around the one holding it. He pulled a small, black velvet box out and used his thumb to flip the lid open.

"Lucille Judith Heartfilia, I fell in love with you the very first time we met and I've been lost to you ever since. Will you please end my lonely fucking existence by marrying my sorry ass?"

Tears blurred her vision and a chorus of _awws_ echoed in the large space around them. Her lips moved without sound, her brain moving faster than her vocal chords could process. His brow quirked and she did the only thing she could do. Her head nodded as the water spilled over the lids of her eyes to stream down her cheeks.

His large fingers pulled out the ring that was nestled inside and carefully slid it onto her finger before he stood. "I promise, I'm not much but I will make sure that you never regret it."

"I love you," she croaked as she threw her arms around his neck.

His lips captured hers and the onlookers be damned, she sank into the tenderness of his kiss. It still amazed her that he'd not only taken notice of the little freckled, baby-faced teen with a mouth full of metal, but he'd asked her out two months before the school year had ended. What the sexy ass jock had seen in her was beyond her but she was happy for it. He'd become everything to her.

"You two get a room!"

Gajeel's voice boomed over the crowd and she chuckled against Laxus' lips as she raised her hand and shot him the middle finger. Large hands palmed her ass and a shriek burst from her lips as the floor disappeared from beneath her feet. "What are you doing?" She laughed as she wrapped her legs around Laxus' waist, clinging to his large frame.

"You heard him," he grinned. "I'm taking you to a room."

* * *

"They need to be corrected _before_ they're signed."

"I can amend all of the forms before we file."

"No, Freed. You-"

Lucy blinked back the tears that swelled in her eyes and she reached over to lay a hand on Erza's trousered leg. She wanted the bickering to end, needing this to just be over and done with. There were too many memories that flooded her mind, all of them threatening to break the fragile dam that held her emotions at bay. It felt like there was a lifetime of them and it would take her another lifetime to forget. If she ever did.

The redhead looked over and gave a questioning look. "Lucy?"

"Freed's honest, he'll make… They'll be right before their finalized."

Try as she might, she hadn't been able to keep her voice from cracking when she spoke. She was nearing the breaking point and this just needed to be over. Her eyes wanted to wander, to stare at her soon to be ex-husband. But she couldn't. Her heart couldn't take looking at him and seeing the lack of emotion that she was sure was on his face. Or worse, pity. Pity for her inability to hold herself together.

"If you're sure…"

She gave a nod and reached for one of the pens laying on the table. Her fingers trembled and she tightened her grip around it to steady herself. A quivering sigh escaped her as she clumsily thumbed through the pages in search of the signature lines. The words and content blurred and she was suddenly brought right back to that day a year before. They'd been standing in the _NICU_ , pen in hand and signing the forms to pull their newly born son off of life support.

That was what had triggered the end of life as she'd known it. Six months pregnant, a car accident had thrown her into early delivery. He'd been born too soon, unable to breathe on his own. The doctors had been extremely upfront in his chances of survival but their hope had sustained them. Two months, she'd spent every day up at the hospital. She wasn't able to hold his tiny body in her arms, settling for touches through the barrier of gloves on the incubator. Her nights had been spent curled up against her husband's side as she cried herself to sleep.

They'd tried everything. All of the experimental treatments, the plethora of tests and trials. Nothing had worked and it eventually came down to their doctor spelling it out for them. There was no brain function and no hope of survival. Yury's life would be that of a vegetable hooked to a machine unless they showed him mercy by letting him go. It had been the hardest decision she'd ever had to make and it had proved to be the most costly.

Not only had she lost her son, but her husband as well in the end.

They weren't as strong as she'd believed. She struggled to come to terms and he struggled to deal. Slowly, all of the light between them faded until they were just two people existing in the same place. He'd moved into the spare bedroom, claiming it allowed him to sleep better. Dining together became a thing of the past as he went to his job, staying till all hours of the night and she locked herself in the home office to write. But she'd still held hope that they'd come out okay.

Until he'd announced one morning that he couldn't do it anymore.

She hadn't argued or even cried when he packed his things and went to stay at Bickslow's house. The shock had been too much, taking days to hit her like a mack truck. And it took weeks to realize he wasn't coming back. That was when the small shards of her life that hadn't been taken with Yury's passing were shattered. She'd sank to the darkest depths of hell, relying on anti-depressants and caffeine to get her through the days and sleeping pills to get her through the nights. She'd eventually given up on the uselessness of the medication. They wouldn't bring him back. They wouldn't fix her broken life.

Finally reaching the signature page, she tried to quell the shaking pen in her grasp as she brought it to the paper. The tears that had been threatening to break free finally found an out, a single scalding drop rolling down her cheek to fall on the table beneath her. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath before the ball point tip landed on the line. Her fingers hesitated and she inwardly cursed herself for not being able to do something so simple. _It's just your name, Lucy. Just sign on the dotted line so you can go and break over it in the privacy of your home._

That was just it. It wasn't her home and it never would be again. Whether she kept the house or not, it still held all of the memories they'd made there. He still haunted their room, the kitchen, the backyard, the bathroom.

Lucy willed the thoughts back into the box they had escaped from and focused on the empty line on the page. Releasing the air trapped in her lungs, she resolved herself to do what she had to. The pen's tip hadn't left a mark when a heavy hand landed on hers, halting its movement. Fingers that she knew so well curled around hers and she dared to lift her head, her eyes locking with stormy blue ones.

"Can you guys give us a few?"

"Laxus, I do not thi-"

The blond male didn't take his eyes from hers when he growled a simple response. "Now."

Chairs scraped across the floor and she barely registered the sound of footsteps retreating and the door closing behind them. Confusion clouded her mind and her eyes dropped to the hand holding hers. How long had it been since he'd touched her? The warmth of his skin permeated through the chill she'd yet to shake and she tried to contain the anxiety eating away at the dam of her emotions. _Why drag this out?_

"What are we doing?"

His question only served to perplex her more and she looked up to search his face for the answer. Pain, anguish. They deepened the furrow of his brow, etched the frown lines around his mouth and clouded the depths of his blue eyes. "I don't… I don't know."

He pulled the pen from her hand and dropped it loudly on the table before his fingers found hers again. "Do you remember homecoming your freshman year of high school?"

Her brows knitted as she tried to recall the night. "Was that when Natsu set fire to the sophomore's float?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Fucking moron, but I have to thank him. It had drawn everyone's attention from the football field and literally changed my life."

His words made no sense and she shook her head. "Laxus, I don't un-"

"I saw a girl," he continued. "She was a tiny little thing with her oversized sweater, white with blue trim and it was over a tight pair of jeans. She had the smallest pair of white keds I'd seen up to that point. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail with a blue ribbon tied around it in a bow. I didn't understand it at first, why I'd notice _her_ when there were so many people gathered. But then she turned and I saw her smile. I instantly thought 'that's the girl I wanna stay up late with' and I knew then that nothing in my life would ever be the same."

She stared, slack jawed as tears that mirrored her own slid down his face. She remembered that night. It was the first time he'd ever looked her way. She'd turned during all the commotion, laughing at a joke her brother, Sting, had cracked about Natsu's love of fire to see the entire football team running off the field. He'd been leading the pack, his helmet in hand and his always immaculate blond spiked hair messy and dripping with sweat. Even covered in dirt and grime, he was still a _god_ and he'd been looking directly at her. "You waved to me…"

"I was kind of an idiot," he replied with a watery chuckle. "Still am, really."

She wiped at her eyes and tried to ignore the ache in her chest. This was the first time they'd spoken in months and it only served to remind her of just how quiet the house was now. As much as she wanted to go home and wallow, she wanted him to keep talking. If only for a little while longer. "Why do you say that?"

His thumb drew over her fingers and a heavy sigh escaped the wide birth of his lips. "Because I've failed to be the husband you deserve and I know that if I sign these… I don't want to fail again and I'm not sure I can let go."

The quiver of his voice shook the foundation beneath her and his words knocked the breath from her chest. A fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks and she was terrified of hoping they meant what she wanted to believe they did. "Let go? Laxus, you did what-"

"I was selfish," he spat out. "When we lost Yury, I only saw my own suffering. I knew it was killing you and I did nothing to help. Instead, I just drew back into myself and allowed my own pain to pull me away… when you needed me most. By the time I'd realized it, I thought it was too late. Your tears had stopped and you seemed to be fine without me in the bed next to you. Like an idiot, I tucked tail and ran instead of trying to fix it."

She'd never once stopped to consider that it had been her who'd shut the door on him. Never once did it occur to her that he never wanted this, them, to fail. So many times she'd started to pick up the phone, going as far as dialing his number only to hang up before it could connect. She was just as much to blame because if she'd seen past the end of her own nose, she could have saved them.

"I…" A sob caught in her throat, choking her and the dam broke. She pulled the hand in her lap up and buried her face, her tears of pain and loss mixing with those born of shame. It was she who'd forgotten. If she'd only asked him to stay, he might have the way he'd always done before.

* * *

"Baby, I'll be back before you know it. It's only five days."

Lucy ignored the people passing as she kept her arms wrapped around his waist, a playful pout settled on her lips to hide the fact that she was already missing him. "I know but the bed will be _so_ empty."

A deep chuckled rumbled from his chest and his hands came up to frame her face. "All the more reason for you to keep those thousand throw pillows of yours up there 'til I get back."

She playfully slapped at his arms, smiling as his warm breath feathered over her skin. His lips softly brushed against hers and she melted against him. She loved the way it felt when he kissed her, the way her toes curled and every cell in her body ignited. Even after seven years of being together, it was always like the very first time. Their tongues found each other and she sighed as they began a dance that had only perfected over time. Slow and purposeful, they savored the taste of one another as though they might forget.

Too soon though, he broke for air as his fingers curled into her hair and he pressed his forehead to hers. "I need to get going, Lu."

" _Flight 8746 to Crocus is boarding at gate B7."_

She whimpered at the announcement, dreading having to watch him disappear through security. But she made no move to let go and he didn't pull away. It would be the first time since they'd wed that they would be separated for longer than twenty-four hours. What if something were to happen? What if his plane crashed? What if someone broke in while she was all alone? Her fingers curled into the fabric of his coat and she leaned up to press her lips back to his. "I know," she whispered. "But kiss me one more time?"

"Just one…"

That kiss came and went, turning into two. Then three and onward into four, repeating until those light pecks disappeared and their lips refused to separate. His bag hit the tiled floor and his arms wound around her. "You're gonna make me miss my flight."

The mumbled words and her hum in reply went unheeded as his head canted to deepen the kiss. His tongue plunged into the depths of her mouth once more and she eagerly greeted the passion she tasted on his sigh. Fire ignited in her veins and she clung to his large frame as though he'd vanish. His hold on her was no less in intensity as he pulled her tightly against him. The passersby and onlookers were forgotten as the world around them disappeared.

* * *

A gentle touch brushed against her arm and she slowly looked up to find he'd moved. No longer was there a table between them as he kneeled on the floor next to her chair. He'd missed his flight that day, instead taking her home and spending the night making love to her until the sun rose over the horizon. It hadn't been the first time that the world had vanished and they'd lost track of the life around them.

She hadn't asked then, but he'd stayed nonetheless.

His hand captured the one that had covered her face, lowering it as his eyes locked on the diamond and sapphire wedding set that still sat on her finger. "You…" he paused as he looked up at her, a glimmer of hope flashing so fast in his eyes that she questioned seeing it. "You still wear yours..."

She pulled her hand back and nervously covered it with her other hand. Perhaps she should have but she'd never been able to bring herself to actually do it. Her gaze dropped to his naked fingers. "And you don't."

A huff escaped him and he slid his hand into the pocket of his suit to pull out a gold band that perfectly matched hers. "I took it off before we walked in," he croaked. "I was afraid you'd… I thought you'd see me as weak if I was still wearing it."

She drew in an unsteady breath as she watched him slip the band back on his finger, her teeth digging into her bottom lip to quell the sob of joy that it elicited. He looked back up at her with red-rimmed eyes and reached up to softly brush his fingers against her cheek. She wanted to pinch herself. This couldn't be real, it had to be a dream.

"I miss you, Lucy," he whispered. "So fucking much it hurts. I miss the sound of your voice, the way it feels to hold your hand, the taste of your lips, the way your nose wrinkles when you're deep in thought… The way you look in morning when the sun is just peeking through the window and you're wearing nothing but one of my shirts. I miss our life and the love we've shared and I'm begging you. Please, please don't let this be it. I want to come home and make it right. I can't do this without you because you're everything to me. My life, all of this, it doesn't mean shit if you aren't in it. P-please… D-don't..."

The sound of his broken sob shocked and decimated her. In all of the ten years they'd been together, she'd never seen him so utterly broken. So completely laid open and it killed any sense of pride she could have had left. Not even when they'd laid their son to rest had he wept so openly. She threw caution and the pain she felt into the wind, her arms going around his neck as she slid from the chair to kneel beside him.

His arms went around her, crushing her against his trembling chest as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. "I love you, Lucy. With everything that I am and-and I c-can't lose… Lose you too."

His declaration ripped a cry from her chest. Those words. She'd never thought she'd hear them again, not from him. And it was all she'd prayed for over the past year. "Come ho-home, Laxus," she sniffled against his hair. "I l-love you too. With all of-of my heart an-and everything that I am."

* * *

Freed watched the car pull away from the curb, a pleased smile settled on his lips. For the first time in months, he'd finally go home with some good news. The last year had been rough. He'd watched two of his closest friends descend into the depths of hell, unable to see the light that everyone knew existed in their lives.

It had been heartbreaking to watch a couple he'd so strongly believe in fall apart. And it had not been easy, accepting the role of Laxus' attorney. Not in this matter and not when he knew this could not truly be the end. He'd spent hours listening to his friend cry and even more trying to navigate the unsettled waters that had become their workplace.

"They sure took the long way with this."

He glanced over at the redhead standing beside him and nodded. "Yes, but then they needed to be reminded of what they stood to lose."

Erza grimaced and tightened her hold on the bag in her hand. "Would you have actually filed the papers?"

His lips thinned and he looked back out the lobby window. It had been a _hail mary_ play, purposely fudging the papers in the first place. He hadn't really believed that it would work, not when everything else they'd all tried had failed. "Honestly," he mused. "Not until I was sure this was truly what they both wanted."

"You're a shrewd man," the redhead replied before looking over to offer him a pleasant smile. "But you're a good friend."

Freed shrugged and pushed the door open, holding it to allow her to exit before him. "I love them, Erza and did not want to see them make a mistake they would only come to regret."

She glanced out at the street and gave a nod. "And regret it they would, this worked out for the best."

"Definitely," he replied. "It will take them some time, but they will get back on their feet."

The redhead paused and offered her hand, which he gladly shook. "Have a good evening, Freed and tell that wife of yours that I'll be calling her. We are in need of another game night."

He chuckled and pulled his coat tighter as a gust of wind picked up. "I will do. Send my regards to your wife. I miss Mira's tea."

* * *

 **I know, an emotional mess this thing was. But a reminder that sometimes we need when you're married. It isn't easy and there will come moments where you really don't know that you can take anymore. But if you love them and it's worth it, take the time to fix it so you don't have any regrets.**

 **Big hugs and lots of love,**

 **Princess Nana**


End file.
